A Different Story
by Auriga Jones
Summary: A different sorting...
1. Chapter 1: A Different Sorting

_Chapter 1:_ **A Different Sorting**

The hat shouted its choice, and there was a moment of absolute silence before the applause started, loud from his future housemates, and more muted elsewhere. There was a brief chant of "We got Potter!" from the more excited members of the house before the headmaster stared pointedly at the culprits and they quietened a little. As Harry Potter reached the house table and sat down in a burst of greetings from the older house members, Professor McGonagall continued the sorting.

As he settled himself, his back to the wall, Harry looked across the Great Hall. Far away, her own back to the opposite wall and looking at him very unhappily, was the girl from the train, Hermione. He looked over to where the unsorted first-years were still standing in a clump in front of the hat, and tried to catch Ron's eye, but Ron was alternating between staring nervously around the hall and looking down at his feet. Soon enough, though, Professor McGonagall was calling out Ron's name, and a moment later Ron was out from under the hat and making his way to the other side of the hall. He looked back briefly, and after a second's searching found Harry and gave him a rueful smile, then turned and walked slowly towards his own table.

As the sorting finished, Harry looked at some of the other first years around him as the headmaster made a short but bizarre speech. Every other first year looked as nervous as he felt. As the headmaster finished, Harry caught the eye of the girl sitting opposite him. She had dark hair and an upturned nose that presently gave her a slightly irritated expression, as if everyone else at the table smelt bad, but he smiled anyway and said

"Hi. I'm Harry Potter."

"Pansy Parkinson. Nice to meet you." She reached across the table to shake his hand.

"Nice to meet you, too," he replied.

She looked from him to the blond boy sitting next to him, who was watching them both intently. Harry had been too absorbed in watching the sorting to register who was beside him, but now he turned, and after a pause put out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Harry Potter."

The blond boy looked at his hand for a second, then reached out his own to take it.

"Hi, Harry. I'm Justin."


	2. Chapter 2: A Letter to Lucius

_Chapter 2:_ **A Letter to Lucius**

Sunday, 1 September 1991

Dear Lucius,

This is just to let you know that Draco has followed in the traditions of the Malfoy family, and been sorted into Slytherin. I'm sure that he will be a fine addition to the house, and I look forward to acting as his housemaster for the next seven years.

My best regards to you and Narcissa.

Sincerely,

Severus.


	3. Chapter 3: Millicent Settles In

_Chapter 3:_ **Millicent Settles In**

Millicent had not enjoyed the sensation of memories being shuffled and riffled that the Sorting Hat had induced, but fortunately it had only taken a few seconds before shouting out its choice. And now here was Millicent, sitting in the first year girls' dormitory of the house that was to be home for the next seven years. It had been a shock to be sorted here, but everyone seemed friendly so far.

Millicent was an only child, and had never shared a bedroom before, so was rather surprised to discover how many extra clothes everyone else in the dormitory seemed to have packed, and how many different shampoos and conditioners were appearing out of every other trunk in the room. Apart from the required uniform clothing, the only clothes Millicent had packed were a few pairs of jeans and a few sweatshirts, and it was almost embarrassing that the trunk now sitting at the end of the bed contained nothing more than plain soap and an unscented shampoo.

And so Millicent sat cross-legged in the middle of a large four-poster bed, alternately watching a girl called Parvati arranging and re-arranging a vast collection of perfume bottles, and a girl named Lavender trying ineffectually to pack a pink fluffy sweater into a bedside chest of drawers that was already over-stuffed with several almost identical pink fluffy sweaters.

Just as Millicent was about to go over and offer to help Lavender push the sweaters down into the drawer, there was a plaintive cry from the other side of the dormitory:

"Didn't _anybody_ bring a hair-dryer?"

Having long ago decided against any kind of extravagant style, Millicent's own hair was as short and straight as possible, and easily dried on its own a few minutes after a shower. Millicent liked the practical, but these girls were clearly very different. It was going to be an interesting year in Gryffindor.


	4. Chapter 4: A Diary Entry

_Chapter 4: _**A Diary Entry**

_(From the diary of Hermione Granger)_

Monday, 2 September 1991

I arrived at Hogwarts School last night, after a long train journey. On the train I met a few different people, including Harry Potter (the "Boy Who Lived"), and three other boys called Neville, Ron and Draco. When we got to Hogwarts we were all sorted into our houses by a magic hat. I knew about the houses from "Hogwarts, a History", and had decided that I wanted to be in Gryffindor House or Ravenclaw House. However, the magic hat looked at what I was thinking, and said my ambition was my strongest quality, and it put me into Slytherin House, which is where the ambitious people go. I was a bit upset about this, because Slytherin House has a very bad reputation, but I've been thinking about it, and I think it must be just that people who aren't ambitious are nervous about people who are. So, one of the things I shall have to do is change this view: I suppose I am ambitious, but I don't think I'm a bad person.

After all the first years were sorted into our houses, we had a huge feast. It was delicious. There were three kinds of ice-cream! I was careful not to eat too many sweet things so as not to damage my teeth. After the feast we all went to our own houses, and the prefects gave a speech about how we should all work hard and always polish our shoes and brush our hair and generally present a good image of our house. Then we went to bed.

I share a dormitory with four other girls: Daphne Greengrass, Olivia Runcorn, Tracey Davis and Sophia-Amalia Roper (but she said to call her Sophie). They all seem very polite, and we have a nice room. Everyone has their own huge four-poster bed with curtains! Also we each have a wardrobe and a chest of drawers. Slytherin House is in the lowest level of the castle, and we have to go up three staircases just to get to the Great Hall.

I don't know the names of all the first year boys yet, but I do know three: Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe. I met Draco on the train, and he was very rude to me and to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. He was rude to me again during the feast, and so was Gregory Goyle. I think Vincent Crabbe wanted to be rude too, but he is so inarticulate he can only speak in grunts! I think Daphne also doesn't like people from non-wizarding families, but she is so polite and formal it's impossible to tell for sure. I am the first person from a non-wizarding family to be sorted into Slytherin for eighteen years, the Sorting Hat said, so I have to be sure to make a good impression.

Anyway, it's nearly time to get up. My bed is next to Tracey Davis', and I just heard her alarm clock. We have to get dressed and assemble in the house common room before breakfast, so we can meet our housemaster, Professor Snape. Olivia Roper's sister, who is a third year, told Olivia that he's very strict and hates it when people are late or lazy, so we will all have to be on time and work hard.


	5. Chapter 5: A Letter to Ron

_Chapter 5:_ **A Letter to Ron**

Dear Ron,

I wanted to write to you as soon as we heard your news. Percy wrote to your Mum and me immediately after the Feast, and I want to tell you how delighted we both are with your sorting. I am so proud of you. As you know, the Weasleys and the Prewitts have been nothing but Gryffindors for the last two generations, and there's been nobody with your sorting since your great-grandfather's generation.

Although you won't have your older brothers nearby, I know you'll make lots of friends in your own house, and if you ever need your brothers you can always go and find them in Gryffindor. Percy tells me that Fred and George were both very surprised by your sorting, and your mother is perhaps the same, but I have to say that I'm not. I've always known that there was more to you than meets the eye, and I'm confident that you'll do very well throughout your time at Hogwarts.

What I do hope you'll remember, of course, is that every house has its strengths, but just because you are in one house doesn't mean you can't be strong in other areas, too. People can be brave without being in Gryffindor, loyal without being in Hufflepuff, intelligent without being in Ravenclaw, and ambitious without being in Slytherin. I hope you'll be brave and loyal and ambitious whatever happens, but for now I'm just so pleased that the Sorting Hat has decided you have the sort of mind that belongs in Ravenclaw. I'm certain that you're going to do well there. I know we haven't given you a particularly academic upbringing, but the Sorting Hat is never wrong!

Congratulations, Ron, first Weasley in Ravenclaw in three generations! I hope you enjoy your time at Hogwarts!

Well done, and love,

Dad (and Mum, who is still almost speechless with excitement or something, but will be writing to you very soon!)


End file.
